Tool and a method for producing a tool

ABSTRACT

A tool  10  having at least one internal passageway, such as passageway  40, 42, 44  which may provide a vacuum onto the tangible item formation surface or portion  17 , which may provide pressure to the tangible item formation surface or portion  17 , or which may provide cooling to the tool  10 . In alternate embodiments of the inventions, the number and types of such internal passageways  40, 42, 44  may be “mixed and matched” to allow a tool  10  to be built to meet a variety of dissimilar needs and operations. Such a tool may be built by the use of a lamination process.

GENERAL BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a tool and to a method for producing a tool and more particularly, to a tool having a variety of passageways which are used to perform respectively dissimilar functions and to a method for producing such a tool which allows tangible items to be accurately produced in a consistent manner.

2. Background of the Invention

A tool is an apparatus which is used to selectively create or form some sort of tangible item, such as but not limited to some sort of automotive component.

Traditionally, such a tool is created from a substantially solid block of material. While this approach does allow the tool to be created, it is relatively inefficient, costly, and prone to error.

To alleviate these difficulties, a laminated tool creation strategy has been employed under which the tool is initially formed in an intangible manner (e.g., within software). The intangible or software model is then used to form physical or tangible sections which are selectively joined in order to allow them to cooperatively form the tool.

Particularly, one lamination creation approach requires the use of measurement feedback to increase the overall accuracy of the laminated tool creation process. That is, measurements are taken of one or more of the previously created and selectively joined tangible sectional members and compared with a portion of the previously created intangible model. The comparison yields one or more measurement values which are used to determine certain physical attributes or characteristics of the very next tangible member which is to be created. One example of such a lamination strategy is described within U.S. Pat. No. 6,587,742 (“The '742 patent”), which is fully and completely incorporated herein by reference, word for word and paragraph for paragraph and which is owned by these Applicant's assignees.

While the tools produced by these and other various tool creation strategies do selectively produce tangible items, they do so in a relatively inefficient manner. That is, these tools respectively include a tangible item formation surface upon which a tangible item is provided. Often the produced tangible items are geometrically errant (e.g., have errant physical dimensions) due to interalia the failure of the tangible item formation surface of the tool to maintain, in a stationary manner, the item as it is being formed, and/or the failure to allow the produced tangible item to be readily removed from the respective tangible item creation surface, thereby requiring the produced tangible item to be forcibly removed from the respective formation surface and thereby undesirably increasing the likelihood of damage or destruction to the produced item.

As earlier stated, there are many manufacturing and item formation processes that require the material or part to be held “in place” or in a fixed position during the overall manufacturing process. This typically requires the previously formed tool surface (e.g., the tangible item formation surface) to have holes drilled into and/or through it in order to create a path for air to move from the forming face of the tool, through the tool, to a chamber that is sealed and can “hold” a vacuum. This same approach can also be used for the selective transmission of pressure to the item formation surface, effective to accurately form material and other tangible items upon this surface.

Creating such a porous tool is typically very time consuming, expensive and undesirably increases the likelihood of causing structural damage (e.g., due to such drilling).

Another major drawback associated with this approach is if holes have to be drilled through the tool surface to provide for the passage of air and/or gas from one side to the other, the smallest diameter hole will be substantially identical to the size of the smallest drill diameter. This is often to large for some materials and the selective created holes will undesirably create a depression or a mark upon the finished part or tangible item, thereby causing the production of undesirable items.

The present invention combines porosity, vacuum and pressure functionality with conformal cooling/heating functionality, if required, all in “one piece” while overcoming the “various previously delineated drawbacks”. The present process also allows for even very small passageways to be produced in the tool surface that will not deface or damage the finished part. The present invention also obviates the need to “work” or drill a finished tool, thereby reducing the likelihood of damage.

There is therefore a need for a tool which consistently produces tangible items having a relatively high degree of overall dimensional accuracy, which allows the produced tangible items to be readily removed from these tools and to have no surface defects after they are formed. There is also a need for a method to produce such a tool in a very cost effective manner.

The present invention addresses these needs in a new and novel manner and allows for the selective creation of a tool which may be used in a wide variety of processes, even processes requiring vacuum and/or pressure and which does so in a very cost effective manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a first non-limiting object of the present invention to provide a tool which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks associated with prior tools.

It is a second non-limiting object of the present invention to provide a tool creation methodology which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks associated with prior tool creation methodologies.

It is a third non-limiting object of the present invention to provide a tool, by a new and novel tool creation methodology, which allows for the cost effective creation of a tool which includes several internal passageways having dissimilar functions and which obviates the need for drilling or otherwise “working” the tool after it is completed.

According to a first non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a tool is provided and includes a body including a tangible item forming surface; at least one vacuum passageway which is disposed within the body and in communication with the tangible item forming surface, wherein the at least one vacuum passageway is formed only by the registration of first and second sectional body member; and at least one conformal cooling passageway which is disposed within the body and in communication relationship with the tangible item forming surface.

According to a second non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a tool is provided and includes a body including a tangible item forming surface and at least one pressure passageway which is disposed within the body and in communication with the tangible item forming surface, wherein the at least one pressure passageway is formed only by the registration of first and second body members.

According to a third non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a tool is provided and includes a body having a tangible item formation surface; and at least one vacuum passageway disposed within the body and in communication with the tangible item formation surface, wherein the at least one vacuum passageway is formed only by the registration of first and second sectional body members.

According to a fourth non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a method for forming a tool is provided and includes the steps of forming a first sectional member having a first and a second orifice; forming a second sectional member having a third and a fourth orifice; joining the first sectional member to the second sectional member, effective to form the tool wherein the first orifice cooperates with the third orifice to form a vacuum passageway within the tool and wherein the second orifice cooperates with the fourth orifice to form a conformal cooling passageway within the tool.

According to a fifth non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a method for forming a tool is provided and includes the steps of forming a first sectional member having a first and a second orifice; forming a second sectional member having a third and a fourth orifice; joining the first sectional member to the second sectional member, effective to form the tool wherein the first orifice cooperates with the third orifice to form a pressurized passageway within the tool and wherein the second orifice cooperates with the fourth orifice to form a conformal cooling passageway within the tool.

According to a sixth non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a method for forming a tool is provide, the method including the step of forming the tool by successively coupling formed sectional members together; and forming at least one vacuum passage within the tool only by coupling the sectional members together.

According to a seventh non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a method for forming a tool is provided and includes the steps of forming the tool by successive coupling sectional members together; and forming a pressure passageway within the total only by coupling the sectional members together.

These and features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, including the subjoined claims, and by reference to the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool which is made in accordance with the teachings of a first non-limiting preferred embodiment of the invention with a portion of the tool being shown in phantom.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the tool which is shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tool which is shown in FIG. 1 but further illustrating, in phantom, the various internal passageways which are operatively contained within the formed tool.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tool which is made in accordance with the teachings of a second non-limiting and alternate embodiment of the invention and which shows a portion of the internal structure of the tool in phantom.

FIG. 5 is a partial side sectional view of the tool which is shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the tool which is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a tool 10 which is made in accordance with the teachings of the preferred embodiment of the invention. It should be realized that the term “tool”, as used throughout this description, is meant to refer generally to any tangible item forming apparatus and assembly and is meant to be construed in the broadest manner possible.

Particularly, tool 10, in the most preferred embodiment of the invention, comprises a laminate type tool and may be substantially similar to the tool 40 which is shown in FIG. 1 and which is described within The '742 patent. Thus, tool 10, in the most preferred embodiment of the invention, is comprised of a plurality of tangible sectional members, such as tangible sectional members 12, 14, 15 which may be formed from stainless steel or another type of commercially available steel, composite, or other commercially available material. The various selectively coupled tangible sectional members, such as sectional members 12, 14, 15, may be adapted to cooperatively provide tangible item formation surface or portion 17. It should be appreciated that portion 17 may have any desired shape and size and geometric configuration and that tool 10 may have any desired size and shape and geometric configuration.

In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, some of the tangible sectional members, such as sectional members 12, 14, include apertures. For example, sectional member 12 includes “through” horizontal type apertures 16, 18, 20 (i.e., the apertures 16, 18, 20 each extend through the sectional member 12 generally along the direction of width 13 of the tool 10). Sectional member 14 includes “through” horizontal apertures 22, 24, 26 (i.e., the apertures 22, 24, 26 extend through the sectional member 14 generally along the width 13). Since the sectional members 12, 14 are coupled and are therefore adjacent, the through apertures 20, 22 are selectively registered and cooperate to form a first horizontal internal passageway 40 within the tool 10, the through apertures 16, 24 cooperate to from a second horizontal internal passageway 44 within the tool 10, and the through apertures 18, 26 cooperate to form a third horizontal internal passageway 42 within the tool 10.

It should be appreciated that the three foregoing internal passageways 40, 42, 44 may be selectively extended by having three “horizontal type” through apertures formed within the sectional member 15 which respectively are registered and aligned with apertures 22, 24, 26. In this manner, as is perhaps best shown in FIG. 3, the tool 10 may include passageways 40, 42, and 44 having substantially any desired length within the formed tool 10 and these internal passageways, such as 40, 42, 44, are formed as the tool 10 is formed. Of course, additionally coupled sectional members may have respective “through type” apertures which may be respectively aligned with a unique one of the previously formed internal passageways 40, 42, 44, thereby allowing the various previously formed internal passageways 40, 42, 44 to be selectively extended within the formed tool 10, as the tool 10 is being built. Further, by offsetting the apertures of these additional sectional members from these passageways 40, 42, 44, the orientation of the passageways 40, 42, 44 may differ (e.g., be changed from) from a substantially horizontal orientation to an orientation which is not parallel to the width 13. Such internal passageways and the methodology for producing such passageways is described, for example, and without limitation, within pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/440,454 (filed on May 16, 2003) and Ser. No. 10/308,602 (filed on Dec. 2, 2002), which are each fully and completely incorporated herein by reference, word for word and paragraph for paragraph and which are owned by these Applicants' Assignee.

Particularly, as shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3, and in one non-limiting preferred embodiment, internal passageway 40 is communicatively coupled to the tangible item formation surface 17 through vent hole 3 (which may be very small and thus not appreciably and undesirably affecting the surface quality of the produced item), while internal passageway 42 is communicatively coupled to the tangible item formation surface 17 through another substantially similar vent hole 5.

In one non-limiting embodiment of the invention, internal passageways 42, 40 may be communicatively coupled to the surface 17 and may be respectively coupled to a source of a vacuum 70 and to a pressure source 72, each of which may be selectively activated or deactivated (e.g., by respective switches). The internal passageway 44 may be coupled to an external source 80 of a cooling material, such as water 81 and may traverse substantially the entire width 13 of the tool 10, thereby causing the water 81 to selectively and coolably circulate through the tool 10. It should be appreciated that any number of such internal passageways may be used in the formed tool 10 and that all, some, or just a few of these internal passageways may be communicatively coupled to the tangible item forming surface 17 by vent holes having substantially any desired diameter.

Further, it should be appreciated that these internal passageways may be used to provide pressure to the tangible item formation surface 17, vacuum to the tangible item formation surface 17, or cooling of the tool 10, including but not limited to cooling of the tangible item formation surface 17 (e.g., the conformal cooling passageway 44 may be placed in close proximity to the surface 17). Thus, the passageways 40, 42, 44 are formed as the tool 10 is formed (e.g., sectional member by sectional member), thereby obviating the need for drilling or “working” the finished or completed tool.

In this foregoing embodiment, the vacuum 70 selectively and forcibly attracts an item (or a partially formed tangible item) onto the surface 17 in order to allow a tangible item to be accurately formed (e.g., the item does not move during the formation operation), while the pressure of the passageway 44 allows the final formed item to be selectively and easily removed from (e.g., selectively “pushed out of”) the forming surface 17 without damage. The conformal cooling passageway 44 allows the surface 17 to remain cool during operation, thereby allowing the tool 10 to have a relatively long working life and allowing the tool 10 to consistently and accurately produce desired tangible items. The sources 70 and 72 are each adapted to only selectively (at a certain time) provide vacuum and pressure to the surface 17.

In yet another non-limiting preferred embodiment of the present invention, as best shown in FIGS. 4-6, a vacuum chamber 100 is formed within the laminate tool 100 and coupled to the passage 42 (e.g., the chamber 100 may just be a wide passage which is orientated in substantially similar horizontal direction to the direction along the tool width 13 and communicates with passage 42). This may be achieved by having the diameter of registered and successive through apertures of the sectional members through which the chamber 100 is formed by larger than the diameter of passageway 42. Further, vertical passages 120 are also formed within the tool 10 and communicatively coupled to the chamber 100 and to the surface 17. The use of chamber 100 enhances the vacuum which may be selectively applied to the surface 17. As shown best in FIG. 6, the passages 120 may be formed by grooves 122 which are formed along the top of each of the sectional members through which these vertical passages 120 reside. In one non-limiting embodiment, the chamber 100 operatively houses the vacuum source 70.

It should be appreciated that the foregoing invention is not limited to the exact construction or methodology which has been delineated above, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the various inventions as are more fully delineated in the following claims. 

1) A tool having a body including a tangible item forming surface; at least one vacuum passageway which is disposed within said body and in communication with said tangible item forming surface; wherein said at least one vacuum passageway is formed only by the registration of a first and second sectional member; and at least one conformal cooling passageway which is disposed within said body and in communication relationship with said tangible item forming surface. 2) The tool of claim 1 wherein said body comprises a first sectional member; and a second sectional member which is selectively joined to said first sectional member. 3) The tool of claim 2 wherein said first and second sectional members are each formed from stainless steel material. 4) The tool of claim 1 wherein said tool further includes a pressure passageway which is disposed within said body and in communication with said tangible item forming surface. 5) A tool having a body including a tangible item forming surface and at least one pressure passageway which is disposed within said body and in communication with said tangible item forming surface, wherein said at least one pressure passageway is formed only by the registration of a first and second sectional members. 6) The tool of claim 5 further comprising a vacuum passageway which is disposed within said body and in communication with said tangible item forming surface. 7) The tool of claim 6 further comprising a conformal cooling passageway which is disposed within said body and in communication with said tangible item forming surface. 8) The tool of claim 7 wherein said body comprises a first sectional member; and a second sectional member which is selectively joined to said first sectional member. 9) The tool of claim 8 wherein each of said first and second sectional members are formed from stainless steel material. 10) A tool comprising a body having a tangible item formation surface; and at least one vacuum passageway disposed within said body and in communication with said tangible item formation surface, wherein said at least one vacuum passageway is formed only by the registration of a first and a second member. 11) The tool of claim 10 wherein said body is comprised of a first sectional member; and a second sectional member which is selectively joined to said first sectional member. 12) The tool of claim 11 wherein each of said sectional members are formed from stainless steel. 13) A method for forming a tool comprising the steps of forming a first sectional member having a first and a second orifice; forming a second sectional member having a third and a fourth orifice; joining said first sectional member to said second sectional member, effective to form said tool wherein said first orifice cooperates with said third orifice to form a vacuum passageway within said tool and wherein said second orifice cooperates with said fourth orifice to form a conformal cooling passageway within said tool. 14) The method of claim 13 wherein said first and said second sectional members comprise stainless steel members. 15) The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of placing copper material between said joined first and second members. 16) The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of forming a tangible item creation surface upon said body; and causing said tangible item creation surface to be communicatively coupled to said vacuum passageway and to said conformal cooling passageway. 17) A method for forming a tool comprising the steps of forming a first sectional member having a first and a second orifice; forming a second sectional member having a third and a fourth orifice; joining said first sectional member to said second sectional member, effective to form said tool wherein said first orifice cooperates with said third orifice to form a pressurized passageway within said tool and wherein said second orifice cooperates with said fourth orifice to form a conformal cooling passageway within said tool. 18) The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of forming a tangible item formation surface upon said body; and communicatively coupling said tangible item formation surface to said pressurized passageway and to said conformal cooling passageway. 19) A method for forming a tool comprising the steps of forming the tool by successively coupling formed sectional members together; and forming at least one vacuum passageway within the tool only by coupling the sectional members together. 20) A method for forming a tool comprising to steps of forming the tool by successively coupling formed sectional members together; and forming at least one pressure passageway within the tool only by coupling the sectional members together. 